


We Didn’t Start the Fire

by myglassesaredirty



Series: Three Sentence Fics [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Gen, It’s now all the avengers if you want, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sherlock AU, Some au’s, Three sentence fics, comment requests if you feel up to it, fluff and angst and everything in between, i’ll see where this goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-03-01 19:56:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 2,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13302081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myglassesaredirty/pseuds/myglassesaredirty
Summary: The best stories are told with the fewest words.Or, rather, the fewest sentences.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My friend requested this one:  
> “A young prodigy becomes orphaned.”
> 
> Also, until I get ~70 chapters, the word count will be very low so please read this guys.

He’s always been smart; from an early age, he took apart computers and built robots and drones and everything else his father did, _anything_ to make him proud. The night his parents leave for a trip, he goes to bed expecting that they’ll be back, that his father will come back to tell him what a failure he is. When he wakes up, the papers announce: _**HOWARD AND MARIA STARK DIE IN A TRAGIC CAR ACCIDENT.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He purposefully chooses to forget.
> 
> (For iCEqUEEN)

At first, the pain is so great that his body shuts down; he doesn’t remember who he is, he doesn’t remember May’s loving touch, he can’t even remember Ned’s excited babble, because as soon as he returned from the war, it was all gone; all he had left was a girl who called herself Michelle, who claimed that she was a friend of his.

Once he remembers again – remembers the pain, remembers the excrutiating heartbreak of watching companions and mentors ( _Tony_ , he always remembers somehow,  _Tony_ is always the most painful) _die_ – once he remembers, he tries to forget how the Avengers saved the world time and time again; he forgets how patient Tony was with him; he forgets Ben and May and everything that made him Spider-man, and he does it all on purpose.

It hurts too much to remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The secret? Semicolons


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ThisUsernameTaken requested:  
> “Perhaps a little silliness between Dr. Strange amd the Cloak of Levitation?”

“No!” Stephen shouts, sticking the butterknife as far away from his body as he can, “I can make my own goddamn sandwich!”

The cloak detaches itself from him for a second, curling upwards by his side in an attempt to reach the knife.

Stephen tosses the knife on the counter as he shouts, “Okay, fine, have it your way then!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter visits Tony at his grave.

The wind blows and sends a shiver up his spine, causing him to tuck his chin into his jacket; he wipes his nose with the back of his hand, and he looks around the graveyard, noticing how his breath puffs out in a cloud of white smoke.

His face is pale, but he turns back to the person he came here for, and he says, “I got accepted into MIT today, Mr. Stark.”

There’s a lot more he could say, and a lot more that he wants to say, but it seems like enough; besides, the knot in his throat is so thick that he doesn’t think he even  _could_ say anything else, so he just nods, sniffs, and says, “I gotta go now, Mr. Stark, but I’ll be back tomorrow; I miss you.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My friend suggested:  
> “A dog loses his best friend.”

It’s unknown as to why, exactly, Tony gave Peter a puppy for his birthday (the kid named it _Jarvis_ , for Christ’s sake); all Tony knows is that Jarvis and Peter are practically inseparable, and Peter is taking cues from Jarvis on how to master the puppy dog eyes; the dog walks with Peter to school, and Tony makes sure either he or Happy (and occasionally Rhodey or Pepper) are there to make sure that Jarvis gets back to the Tower safely.

But that doesn’t prepare anyone for the situation that Tony and Peter find themselves in, when assassins burst through the glass doors, guns blazing as they command the two to disable the security alerts, as they demand that they let them into SHIELD databases; it doesn’t prepare anyone when both of them refuse, and it doesn’t prepare anyone for when Peter’s the first to take a fatal bullet, and Tony’s the second.

Jarvis still makes daily trips to the school, and every day, he finds that Peter’s not there.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> iCEqUEEN suggested: “Two friends take shelter from a storm on opposite sides of the city/world/country.”

The rain beats against the window, lightning flashes through his closed eyelids, wind howls and hollows his bones, and the thunder shakes the very building; he’s experienced storms before – it’s not like he’s never sat through a hurricane, but he’s never done it like this, when the god of thunder mourns so greatly that the very world trembles at his feet, and Peter huddles into the corner where his bed meets the wall. He knows she’s in California right now, visiting her aunt and uncle, but still subject to the very horror that he himself is exposed to.

 

On the opposite side of the country, she trembles under her brother’s protective arm, bringing her blanket to cover her head; she knows, across the country, that Peter is experiencing the same wild storm, and she thinks – if they try hard enough – they can reach out, and their hands will touch, and it will almost be alright.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My friend suggested: “A birthday party comes to a tearful end.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was rough, buddy. Not gonna lie.

It’s his sixteenth birthday, and for the first time in years, he’s throwing a birthday “party” (really, it only consists of Ned, MJ, Harley, and Tony); May orders pineapple pizza and Ned gives him a new LEGO set; Harley gives him the potato gun 4.0, and MJ gives him a book on astronomy. They all expect Tony’s gift to be the best (and it is – not only did Tony get Peter his own lab for his birthday, but he also has paid for his college tuition in full), but no one quite expects Tony’s heart problems to resurface in the hours they’re together.

  
Sixteen is the worst number for Peter Parker when Tony has a heart attack; sixteen is the worst number for Peter Parker as he rides with Tony in the ambulance, tears falling down his face as he begs him to stay alive – he can’t die, not yet, not _this way_ when he’s defeated far worse; and sixteen is the worst number in existence for Peter Parker when the heart monitor beside Tony’s bed flat lines, the arc reactor stops humming, and Tony Stark dies.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya requested: “Tony as he watches Peter die in Infinity War.”

He looks so young, with his knees tucked into his chest and his hands pale and small and frail; he looks like a child – a child who went to school and faced off against a bully, and right now, every atom in Tony’s body _wishes_ that that was the situation – that he can just make a trip down to the school and talk to the principal, but he knows better, and he knows that with a blow like that, Peter cannot recover.

  
So he just sits by Peter’s side, ready to shield him with his body as Peter gasps and pleads with him to save him, to make sure he won’t die, and that’s _all_ Tony wants to do, but he can’t because it’s too late, and he can’t fix everything; he just smooths down Peter’s sweaty hair and shushes his cries, even as his own tears fall down his face.

  
When Peter’s eyes fall shut and his body goes still, Tony finally feels the pain of a father losing his only son.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Version 1 of Peter defending Tony against the Avengers.
> 
> (For Collie)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s two versions of this (thanks to my friend’s recommendation): one verbal and one physical. Enjoy.

Neither of them are exactly sure about the specifics of the situation, but Peter knows for sure that Tony can’t fight back against them – not with a broken leg, and especially not with a healing heart; Peter stands in between Tony and the others, refusing to move out of the way in fear that they’ll hurt Tony instead.

  
The punches and knives come quickly, and even with his danger-sense, he can’t dodge them quickly enough, especially when they start to team up against him; the drugs in their system are poisoning them and exposing the very violence brimming under their skin, and it all _hurts_ , the knives _hurt_ , and he almost listens to Tony when he says to just stop.

  
Finally, the drug wears off as Peter lies on the ground, his left arm lifted to protect himself from the knife Natasha is holding in her hand, and she drops it once she sees a terrified boy lying before her; the other Avengers stop, and Tony scoots forward, wrapping his arms around Peter and pulling him into a hug as he says, “You did good, kid, you did real good.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter defends Tony against the Avengers 2.0
> 
> (For Collie)

“You haven’t changed at all, you know that?” Steve says to Tony; Peter presses his shoulder against the wall and listens as…as Tony just _takes it_ , as he just stands and allows for the verbal abuse the Rogue Avengers keep throwing at him.

  
He steps away from his spot, curling his hands into fists as he looks Steve Rogers in the eye and says, “He’s better than you’ve ever given him credit for, and he tries to help others and he looks out for the little guy and he has always been willing to die for each one of you guys, and none of you – except for you, Rhodey – have the _decency_ to appreciate it.”

  
Safe to say, they’re all a little stunned by his outburst (or maybe it’s just because they haven’t met him as _Peter Parker_ yet), but he ignores them as he walks to the refrigerator, pulls out a bottle of apple juice, and heads back for the lab, calling to Tony over his shoulder, “Hey, can you help me with my math homework?”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone tries to think back to where they went wrong, version 1.0
> 
> (For iCEqUEEN)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
> 
> I just barely managed to get this written in time.

He sighs heavily and runs a hand through his hair as he looks around the dark and empty lab – there used to be homework assignments scattered around the workshop, and now…now they’re all gone, and Tony doesn’t know what happened, what caused Peter to come while he was gone and just pack up everything and leave.

They had been getting along so well, too, he thought; he thought that Peter looked up to him, and Lord knows he is no role model, but he tried, he tried for Peter and he thought that was enough; though, he supposes, Peter was bound to walk out on him eventually – might as well be sooner rather than later.

He sighs again and nods, leaving the lab without knowing that back in an apartment in Queens, there’s a teenage boy tucked into the corner where his bed meets the wall, and he’s sobbing because he failed – he meant to walk out on Tony so that he wouldn’t get hurt when Tony dies, and he’s failed because this hurts more than any death every could.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain season reminds a character of a certain day.
> 
> (For iCEqUEEN)

Christmas music blares from every sound system in the building, red and green decorations litter the living rooms, and he sits in his lab with a paintbrush between his teeth as he paints the Mark 57 green; it’s almost Christmas, and he’s going to make sure it’s a great one.

But when he takes off the Santa hat, when he puts the Christmas cookies in the freezer, when he turns off the music, he lies awake in bed and stares up at the ceiling, remembering how exactly twenty-six years ago, a cold metal hand wrapped around his mother’s throat and choked.

He sniffles and turns over in bed as he stares at the wall, and the cold of Christmas finally settles into his bones.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two friends regret not meeting sooner.
> 
> (For iCEqUEEN)

Two years, three months, and sixteen days is all the time they’ve had thus far – time spent with their heads bent over their respective projects, calling out formulas at random, elbows-deep in whatever scientific advancement they’re focused on; sometimes, Tony would help Peter with his homework, whether it meant talking to him only in Spanish on some days, or reading up on every history book concerning the War of 1812, or even if it meant pushing him a little harder than Tony would have liked, because Peter had to be better than him, and Peter already was better than him.

  
And Peter was exactly what Tony needed, a refreshing breath of air – he looked up to Tony, but more than that, he helped him through his mistakes, and he helped Tony bake cookies, and they celebrated Christmas together and went Christmas caroling, and Peter made Tony a Christmas present that still sat on Tony’s desk; he proposed new ideas and new thoughts, and Tony knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Peter Parker was going to take over Stark Industries as soon as he turned 21.

  
But all of that’s forgotten now, as the two stand waiting and watching as the world is about to end; Tony wraps an arm around Peter’s shoulders and pulls him into his side as the greatest threat the Avengers have ever faced are about to kill them all.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Sherlock au
> 
> (Para mi)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know, I know. It’s been like a month since I updated this. I also have like 30 requests (jk lol not _that_ many) but then I saw a gifset of Tom in The Lost City of Z and I could not help myself from all the potential Sherlock au’s. This shall be a challenge. Please, enjoy.
> 
> (Naturally, Tony = Sherlock. Peter is still gonna be Peter. One name changes. I’m sorry, I didn’t think this through)

It’s not often when he finds someone that has so inexplicably found their way into his life; it’s even more rare when he can hardly imagine a world in which such a person was not there, was not a part of who he was and what he did – even still, he finds it to be almost imperceptible that Watson’s nephew is almost as important to him as Watson, and now, as Peter waits for his father to come for him, Sherlock doesn’t – despite all odds – want him to go.

 

He stands beside the boy, at a loss for words (it might be the first time, he must admit), but before he can speak, Peter tilts his head, reaches up, tugs on his cap, and with a wry grin, says, “You’ll miss me.”

 

Sherlock rocks up on his heels, and he can’t help the smile that crosses his face as he responds, “Sadly, yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get the end reference? Get it? Get it?


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two friends regret not apologizing earlier.
> 
> (For iCEqUEEN)

He pours himself a glass of scotch while she stands there, tilting her head to catch his eye, as if looking at her will help the situation that has arisen in the past months, as if the death and destruction and hurt has now all gone away, as if the simple, “I wish my apology meant something” could account for what she’s done to him, what she’s done to hurt him.

He scoffs, drinks the scotch, and hisses through his teeth; before he takes another drink, he looks up at her and shrugs. “I wish it could have happened sooner,” he says, and it’s all he says until he disappears into his room, where there’s no one, no one who cares about him, no one who will knock on his door and coerce him into leaving the room; he has no one – not anymore.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds out that Peter’s been bullied.
> 
> (Para mi)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m rewatching HIMYM and I am so bored that I decided to update this fic.

It’s no secret that Peter Parker is fragile – he wears hoodies that are too big, ducks his head when people tease him, flinches at loud noises, and most of the time he looks like he’s Bambi – but Tony never understood why until he walks into the tower one day and he’s not babbling with excitement; he looks like he’s bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders, and promises of hot chocolate or the lab or even  _Star Wars_ manage to lure him out.

 

Tony knocks on Peter’s door and, without waiting for an invitation, he opens the door and sees Peter sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest, and Peter’s crying; Tony slowly walks toward him, sits down, and fixes Peter’s collar before he finally asks, “What’s wrong?”

 

When Peter tells him about the bullying, the people who don’t care about him, Tony’s heart breaks as Peter tearfully tells him that he’s unlovable, and Tony pulls him into his side and tells him, again and again, that he _isn’t_ unlovable, that he has Ned and MJ and May and Tony, and they all love him, and they’d all die for him; Tony doesn’t know how many times he has to tell Peter that, but finally, Peter seems to understand, and that’s all Tony could have ever hoped for.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha is impressed with something Peter has done.
> 
> (For miate)

She’s seen him fight, she’s sparred with him in training, she’s even heard him speak multiple languages and keep up with Tony on even some of the most difficult science explanations, but she hasn’t been overly impressed – sure, it’s quite an accomplishment for someone to keep up with her (he has enhanced abilities, so she scratches that from the list) and it certainly is impressive for someone to be able to keep up with Tony, but it’s only when she sees him around other people that she understands.

 

Peter’s friend, Michelle, had come over to the compound to study, and at some point in the wee hours of the morning, Michelle had fallen asleep. Natasha walked out in time to see Peter stand quietly, cover Michelle’s body with a blanket, and lay down on the opposite couch; Natasha smiled, turned away, and walked back to her room, knowing that Peter Parker was everything good about the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted it to be something really sweet, but I’m not sure about this. I hope you enjoyed!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A betrayed man and a broken scientist meet in a bar [slight au]
> 
> (For ScarletMelodies92)

He taps his fingers against the side of his whiskey glass, staring into the space in front of him, letting the condensation run over his fingers; the taste of whiskey burns his tongue, and he probably shouldn’t be drinking, but he remembers Obadiah whenever he’s not drinking…remembers the shrapnel slowly cutting into his heart, remembers palladium and blood and –

 

He hears heavy footsteps, shakes his head slightly, and clears his throat; after all, he is Tony Stark, and he’s not supposed to be be emotional, but when he turns to his companion, he thinks maybe he can make an exception.

 

The man wears wire-framed glasses, and he hunches his shoulders in that grief-stricken way; Tony sighs, pats the barstool beside him, and lifts his finger to order the man a drink; the man smiles at him and takes the glass that is handed to him and says, “Bruce Banner” as he clinks his glass against Tony’s.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, yes, I’m working on my major WIP and a few other fics. I haven’t forgotten.
> 
> Also, if you have three sentence fics you want to read, please request them below.


End file.
